A new era of engineering will soon dawn on Bangalore. European aerospace & defence major — EADS, which also owns passenger jet company Airbus Industries and helicopter company Eurocopter, is likely to throw open its Technology Centre at Devanahalli, near Bangalore, by first quarter of 2008.

The Euro 35 billion company has already acquired 100 acres of land and construction work for setting up several buildings is already in progress for the Euro 100 million (Rs 560 crore) project.

EADS has selected five Indian IT companies for outsourcing its software and engineering design work. After a one-and-half year selection process, EADS has zeroed in on Infosys, Satyam, HCL Technologies for software solutions and QuEST and Cades Digitech for engineering design.

Officials coming
These were selected from a short list of 11 which included, among others TCS and Wipro.

Sources close to the development told Deccan Herald that senior EADS officials are coming to India next month to sign formal agreements with each company.

EADS’ technology centre will have the campus-like approach where all partner companies working for EADS and its associates will operate from the facility at the campus.

While the building and other basic amenities will be provided by EADS, partners will have to bring in their own manpower.

Confidentiality act
“The reason why EADS follows this practice is because they want to protect their proprietary knowledge from falling in wrong hands” said a knowledgeable source.

The confidentiality act is understood as EADS is a global supplier, including India, for air defence equipments, missiles and military planes and helicopters.

The Bangalore Technology campus of EADS will employ around 2000 people in about three years but only 10 per cent of them will be EADS employees, the rest will be hired by partners. In the same campus other Indian companies like HAL, L&T, BEL etc will also work as partners on engineering manufacturing projects.

Yet in another project near the Technology Centre there will be an Airbus Engineering Centre, catering mainly to the needs of Airbus Industries.

Mega investment
EADS’ Bangalore plan is actually part of the Euro 2.5 billion investment plan over the next 15 years announced by CEO Tom Enders last year when he came to India to sign a deal to supply 47 Airbus planes to Indian Airlines.
The value of the various orders that has been received by EADS from India is estimated at Euro 10 billion.